Families across Zimbabwe are anxiously seeking information about relatives who were allegedly misled into traveling to Russia, only to find themselves fighting in the war against Ukraine. The trend has sparked concerns over ongoing recruitment efforts and prompted human trafficking charges against suspected agents.
Rodwin Chitewere, a mother from Beitbridge, learned that her son Tanaka Muzirikazi had gone to Russia only after a relative noticed a change in his WhatsApp status. Muzirikazi, who would have turned 23 this month, left his village in eastern Zimbabwe in April with his cousin Dylan Goodho. The family later received a message from Russia saying he had been injured in a drone attack, and in July they were told he had died. Chitewere has asked for his remains to be repatriated, saying she needs closure and wants to give her son a dignified burial.
The Zimbabwean foreign ministry has reportedly forwarded the family’s request for repatriation to the country’s embassy in Russia.
Dylan Goodho’s family also believed he was leaving for a job opportunity. His father, an artisanal miner, borrowed money to cover costs after Dylan said he would work as a car import agent in Tanzania. It was only after reaching Russia that Dylan revealed he had become a soldier. He sent $1,500 home and promised to send a vehicle, but his family has not heard from him since May. His mother has publicly urged him to return, saying he should not be fighting a war that is not his country’s.
The cases have led to legal action against five suspected recruitment agents in Zimbabwe, who now face human trafficking charges. In March, the government announced that 15 Zimbabwean nationals had died on foreign battlefields, with more than 60 others still on the front lines.
Similar stories have emerged in South Africa and Botswana, where families are also searching for missing relatives. The recruitment of Africans into Russia’s war effort has raised alarm across the region, with authorities warning citizens to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.
For the families left behind, the wait is agonising. One mother in Botswana, whose 20-year-old son has been missing for nearly a year, said she simply wants her child back home and wants those she believes are responsible to face justice.
The situation underscores the vulnerability of young people seeking better opportunities abroad and the dangers of falling prey to unscrupulous recruiters. As the conflict continues, families can only hope for the safe return of their loved ones.
